The Ruby Slipper Dilemma and a Secondary Tale
by drufan
Summary: Now that they are on Earth for the foreseeable future, flying monkeys would be easier to deal with than moving an entire city from one place to another especially when a familiar enemy gets in the way.


**The Ruby Slipper Dilemma and a Secondary Tale**

Summary: Now that they are on Earth for the foreseeable future, flying monkeys would be easier to deal with than moving an entire city from one place to another especially when a familiar enemy gets in the way. Nothing ever goes right when John's in charge, does it?

A/N: This was written for Kristen999 for the Summer Fic Exchange at the Sheppard HC community on Livejournal.

* * *

><p>In the morning, four days after splashing down on Earth, John stood at the railing on the balcony outside the control room watching as the Golden Gate Bridge grew farther and farther away. In the choppy waters of the Pacific just off Atlantis, Navy ships cut their way, acting as guardians and chaperones. Their final destination on Earth agreed upon by those that were more powerful than he.<p>

Actually, it was an inspired bit of camouflage. Cloaked, the city would sail south to San Diego for the shipyards and look as benign as an old junker heading down for salvage. The decoy junker was an old nuclear submarine going in for decommission and needing an escort. It sailed about half a mile to their East. Two destroyers sailed ahead to clear the way. To round out the subterfuge, the Stennis, an aircraft carrier out of San Diego, was lending air support to keep the friendly skies clear of looky-loos.

John stepped back from the railing and breathed in a lungful of cool, salty air. San Diego would lend itself much better to the comings and goings of military personnel. The trip also gave them time to have those from the Mountain ascertain what the next step would be in Atlantis' arrival on Earth.

The Mountain had already sent crews to help with the repairs that could be made on the fly. The splash down had sizzled circuits and jarred crystals. The instant hyperspace drive had created its own set of problems by frying two of the ZPMs and severely depleting the last one. As of right now, they were going nowhere except San Diego in the foreseeable future.

He had doubts. His words to Ronon about getting them home to Pegasus seemed a long shot right at the moment. They had saved this city and Earth with the blood, sweat and tears of her crew. There was a way to get Atlantis back to Pegasus, but right now all they were striking was bone. Also Earth was going to be reluctant on letting such a powerful asset go. They had a lot of work ahead of them.

Colonel John Sheppard, acting head of a city that did not belong in this galaxy, stepped through the sliding, stained glass doors and prepared to inspect her defunct Star Drive.

* * *

><p>Sergeant Fender, completing his second tour of duty in Atlantis, watched as the head of the military and the head of sciences finished their walk through of the Star Drive. He shifted his feet and presented an air of competence as Dr. McKay explained to the colonel the many reasons as to why the great city ship was not flying anywhere, anytime soon. The colonel for his part hmm'd and nodded in answer because he already knew. It seemed to agitate the doctor even more.<p>

"You realize San Diego isn't going to have a spare ZedPM lying around, right?" Dr. Rodney McKay's arm gestures had gotten wilder and bigger as he talked. "We just can't click our heals together!"

The sergeant held his position as the colonel and the doctor passed. The colonel gave him a respectful nod of the head. Fender had to admit to a little hero worship for the lead Gate team in Atlantis- even the boisterous Dr. McKay.

The colonel answered calmly, "Kind of figured that, Rodney. I think a talk with Todd might help. Of course, he may not want to leave our little buffet line."

The door slid open and the two walked out into the hallway. Once the door shut, Fender could not hear anymore of their conversation. He was frustrated because he knew the bosses were frustrated. Hell, everyone in the city who had been here for any amount of time was frustrated. Everyone knew the importance of this city in Pegasus.

He turned his head toward the very quiet and unobtrusive Dr. Bergeron. She had kept her head down and eyes glued to the computer screen the entire time the two men were in the cavernous room, probably trying to keep Dr. McKay from noticing her. She looked up slightly and gave Fender a relieved smile.

"So, Doc, you were explaining about the pink goop?" Fender walked away from the console where Dr. Bergeron was working and over to a reservoir of pink, viscous fluid. It surrounded the main mechanism that controlled the Star Drive.

Shedding her nervousness for her more scientific confidence, Dr. Bergeron went back to explaining, "Oh, yes, Sergeant, we thought at first it was just a type of coolant for the drive, but after a few tests, we discovered it has almost everything to do with the ATA gene's interaction with the Ancient equipment."

Fender stood about two feet away from the moat of sparkling goo. He followed one of the ten radiating spokes of the stuff as it flowed away from the center of the room to a complex matrix of filaments in the room's walls.

She stepped up next to him as he studied the narrow filaments as they disappeared into the ceiling and floor. "The fluid is in every piece of equipment and system in Atlantis. Even the Jumpers. Somehow it receives the ATA gene's mental component and translates the thoughts of the user into usable commands. We're still studying that. Unfortunately, it goes inert when it is separated from the main body of fluid. We're also still trying to figure away around that."

"Wow," was pretty much all he could say.

"Let me finish up my download of our instant trip and any other pertinent data. Shouldn't take me but another ten minutes."

"Didn't you finish that before the big wigs came in?"

She looked up startled or impressed that he knew. "Why yes, I did, but I need one more for the person who is coming from the SGC."

Fender smiled and nodded. "No worries, Doc. You got me all day."

* * *

><p>John stood at the main screen in the Control Room, reporting to his boss. Below him, scientists crowded the area in front of the Gate. He looked at them and appreciated the awe on their faces. The distractions did not slow down Rodney.<p>

Rodney stood in front of the Gate passing out assignments and ordering his own minions to instruct the newcomers. He sounded like he was enjoying his work quite a bit if his exasperation was any indication. People scurried here and there as they went to their jobs.

Richard Woolsey spoke from the video screen. "I see the help has arrived."

"Yes, sir." John turned around to face him. "The move to San Diego has gone smoothly, once they made sure the maneuvering engines wouldn't blow up when engaged."

"That would be nice if that didn't happen." Woolsey brushed a little lint off of his suit. "Well, continue on as you are. Please be careful and don't let her blow up."

"No promises," answered John with a smile. "I'll try to keep her in one piece."

Woolsey gave his own smile. "See you tomorrow, Colonel."

"Give 'em hell."

"I'll do my best," he said before signing off. Woolsey's meeting with the IOA had been long and involved.

John did not envy him because bureaucratic crap still gave him the hives.

It was time to be the big boss. John nodded to the staff and left the Control Room to continue with the rest of his duties. He acknowledged Sgt. Fender as he left.

* * *

><p>Fender stood at attention as his commanding officer walked out of the room. Fender made his way down the stairs to the gaggle of doctors and technicians getting their assignments. He spotted his quarry at the head of the crowd.<p>

Dr. McKay looked up from his pad. "Ah, Bender, this is Dr. Goontz-"

A short, brown-headed woman with glasses corrected him, "It's Gertz, Dr. Gertz."

"Whatever, he's your escort. You can start immediately in the most critical areas of the Star Drive. Dr. Bergeron will provide you with the details of the system." Dr. McKay moved on to the next person without waiting for an answer.

Fender greeted his charge, "It's Sgt. Fender. If you'll follow me, I'll take you to Dr. Bergeron."

"But my things…"

"Will be taken to your quarters."

"Oh," she said. She looked around the Gate Room. "I guess it's time to work."

He walked out the side door with the mousy scientist in tow. Her eyes remained big as they moved from hallway to walkway. They took the nearest transporter to Dr. Bergeron's lab. The two women seemed to know each other from they way they talked.

All three of them took the transporter to the pink goop room. The two doctors chatted the whole way about the wormhole drive calculations and the many technical aspects, which made Fender want to put in earplugs.

"It's magnificent," whispered Dr. Gertz as she looked at the drive mechanism and the ATA integrative goop. She knelt down next to the moat and stared at the shimmering pink. "I can feel the energy."

"Yeah, I'd stay away from that," offered Fender.

"Of course," Dr. Gertz replied, holding her hand as if it wanted to touch the stuff on its own. She turned around to face him and immediately reached into her laptop bag. "Let's get started."

* * *

><p>"Nothing's been decided yet," reported Richard. "As usual."<p>

Sheppard nodded at the screen. "The IOA likes to procrastinate long enough that you make the decisions and they reap the rewards."

"Or I get caught in the trap and they get to relieve me of duty," added Richard. "How's everything?"

"Nothing to report. We haven't blown her up yet. We should be in San Diego day after tomorrow."

"They have better facilities and we can route people through there." Richard fidgeted for a moment.

"We're fine. See you when you get back. Sheppard, out." John shut the screen down and stepped up to the balcony overlooking the Gate. Everything was going smoothly. Still, he would be glad when the guests were escorted out of his city and they were headed home, to Pegasus.

"The prisoner is ready to see you, sir," one of his men reported.

"Thanks."

Todd sat chained to the table in one of the lower labs. Apparently, he had consumed quite a bit of nourishment before surrendering himself to them. Soon, Todd would not be his problem anymore. He was about to have his own Gitmo moment at the Mountain.

John had his more immediate dilemmas with which he had to deal- a hobbling, mostly dead, flying city being first on the list. He hoped his enemy of many years could provide a solution. Another stash of ZPMs would be fantastic right about now.

So John asked and Todd gave his creepy laugh in answer. "What, Shep-pard? Must I do everything for you?"

John should have known that the jackass would not help and would smugly sit there rattling his chains. John did not feel like dealing with this and left. He was done playing with this nut job for right now.

His next call was to the Power Room. Walking up a flight of stairs to the next transporter, he activated his radio. " Rodney, how's it looking?"

"Well, two ZedPMs are burned out and the other is limping like a…a…an intergalactic limping thing."

John chuckled. "How very scientific."

"Yes, quite. You finished? 'Cause I need to get back to work." Rodney clicked off without saying goodbye.

John would take what he could get. He continued to his office to check off things on his list and await the their arrival in San Diego. According to his email, it would be clear sailing. Unfortunately, there was plenty of time for them to get into trouble.

* * *

><p>"Sir." John opened his eyes and took a moment to orient himself. "Colonel Sheppard?" One of his security team stood in his office.<p>

"Yes, um, yes, Sergeant Canady?" John had fallen asleep on his desk.

"We've got a problem, sir."

"Of course," he answered while wiping drool from his mouth. He stood up and followed his man out of the room. According to his watch, he had taken a two hour nap.

Lorne met him at the security monitors. "We've lost contact with our people in the Star Drive and the Power Room."

Teyla walked into the area, interrupting them. She received a nod from both men. "Rodney is in the Power Room with Dr. Zelenka, is he not?"

Lorne turned to face her. "Yes, I have people already there, but communications aren't working. It looks like a dampening field of some sort jamming our radios. We still have their life signs, but can't talk to them."

"All right, is Ronon on his feet?" John asked.

"Already here. Let's go," Ronon said as he quietly joined the group. He handed John his gear.

"Sir-" Lorne was going to explain how John should not go because John was in charge. "You want to get Dr. McKay?"

Or he could just be asking if he wanted to go rescue a teammate.

"Yes," John answered as he dressed. "Be careful. Rendezvous in the lab right here an hour after infiltration." John pointed to a place on the schematics.

Lorne nodded. "Yes, sir."

Thirty minutes later, they stood at the imaginary line for the dampening field. The teams stepped inside the area and the radios immediately died. John pointed Lorne's team on their way- not that they needed it. John continued towards the Power Room and his friend.

John's team fell into a familiar and comfortable rhythm. Ronon took point and Teyla brought up the rear. As they drew near to the room, they heard talking drift down the hallway. Silently, the team kept moving forward to the voices- more accurately, one very loud voice and a calmer one.

Ronon peeked onto the room and turned back towards John with a puzzled expression. He raised two fingers. Ronon also signed to him there were no more.

"It looks like we've finally have all the systems put back right. Only one ZedPM is working, which we're used to anyway. I think we're done here," Rodney said.

With just a hint of exasperation, Radek answered, "I'll let the Colonel know."

John signaled Teyla and Ronon to wait and stepped into the room. He didn't miss the glares from the two of them. "No need, I'm here."

Both doctors looked up in surprise. Rodney spoke first, "Oh. Wait, why?" They both looked completely tired and befuddled.

"Because we lost radio contact with you forty-five minutes ago," John explained.

"Oh, really? Hadn't noticed."

Radek tapped his ear to confirm. "You're right."

Gunfire interrupted them.

"That's not good," observed Rodney.

"No, it's not," agreed John. He spun to look at Teyla. "Get them to safety and call for back-up. Ronon, let's go."

"But!" Rodney squawked as Teyla shoved him on the back, towards the way the team had come. John would let Teyla explain that Rodney didn't have a weapon. Also, Radek was not as malleable to action as Rodney.

Ignoring the protests, John and Ronon ran towards the Drive Room and Lorne's trouble. They slowed down and proceeded cautiously once they saw the closed doors to the room. John pulled out an LSD.

"I see only seven people," he observed. "No extras."

"One might not be ours," whispered Ronon.

"Good point."

At the T junction, he could see two of Lorne's team slumped in front of the room. According to the LSD, they were alive. John checked the one next to the door and Ronon checked the one at his feet.

"Knocked out," the big man reported.

"Same here." John moved to the other side of the door. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up. He came to a decision: keep it simple. "You do the firing and we'll sort it out later."

Ronon gave a tight lipped smile in answer. He switched his baby to stun and took up position. John triggered the door and took a quick peek.

Everyone was unconscious or they appeared that way. John crept into the cavernous room. Ronon moved with him. They came upon Lorne first. His service weapon was the one that had discharged. John picked it up and moved to the next, Sgt. Juarez. Ronon divested him of his weapons.

"You check Dr. Bergeron and Sgt. Fender," John ordered. "I'll get Dr. Gertz." He slowly walked towards the unconscious woman next to the goop.

_Be cautious_, he thought. John always listened to that nagging little voice in the back of his mind. Sometimes, it didn't matter if he did or not, danger found him anyway. He paused. He looked at the angle of Lorne's weapon and realized Lorne had been firing upon Gertz.

However, he did not see any blood. "Ronon," he said while raising his P-90 as he inched closer.

Ronon raised his weapon and inched closer.

"Well, damn," said Gertz, opening her eyes. "A girl just can't get her beauty sleep, can she?"

Her foot swept the ground and kicked John's feet out from under him. His head hit the floor and he saw stars. John's weapon flew out of his hands and skidded across the floor until it hit a wall. John noticed the glow of the eyes before she hopped up off the ground and grabbed him.

"Goa'uld," he said.

"Nice of you to notice." Gertz voice changed to an eerie bi-tonal quality. "You're in my way."

She picked him up and threw him. He landed in the pink and shimmering ooze. As it coated him, the effects were immediate. His muscles contracted freezing him in place. His eyes and his mind were opened, connecting him with everything within the ship.

With what felt like fire ants crawling up and down the length of his body, he felt all of Atlantis, every nook and cranny of the great city ship. He saw Ronon shoot the Goa'uld, twice. He saw the other frail human bodies secured within his borders, plodding along unaware of the danger, fixing her and trying to get her home.

There was so much noise that it was easy to get distracted. Voices and thoughts bombarded him, commanding, asking, and pleading for information. John realized he could search for other Goa'uld from here. He needed to focus like when he flew the Jumper. Unlike the Jumper, he needed to sift through all the noise to find the intruders.

Ronon approached and he wanted to pull John out. John could not allow it, not yet. He warned off the big man with a small zap of electricity. Ronon staggered back and fell onto his ass.

Now John knew a way to stop the Goa'uld when he found them. Using the Goa'uld in the Drive Room as a template, he searched. He saw the others that were not as they appeared, their signatures a muted blob reflecting the two beings in one.

One of the blobs had someone with him. John's attention turned to the cell that held Todd, which was empty. One of the Goa'uld had him in custody. Another of the Goa'uld was in the Control Room, Umbarti. They had a foothold situation.

Arcs of energy flowed out of the walls and into those that did not belong, including Todd. John enjoyed a perverse sense of fun out of that. It was so simple. With just one stroke and all of Goa'uld were out for the count . He wished all foothold situations were this easy.

The dampening field ceased, obviously located on one of the Goa'uld. He had protected his city. He only enjoyed a second of his job well done because he was drowning, dying, to be exact. No good deed ever went unpunished.

To make matters worse he could see himself through the city's video system. Ronon was yelling at him and calling for assistance. He wanted to sleep, but the noise was so loud. He couldn't breath. He let his eyes close and decided to let his mind drift into the city.

* * *

><p>Fender woke up to Ronon growling into the his radio. He rolled over to stand and lurched over to the big man. "A Goa'uld," he said. "Dr. Gertz is a Goa'uld."<p>

Ronon aimed a furious and panicked glare. "Sheppard's in there and I can't get to him!"

Fender slowly approached the pool of goop. Nothing happened. Ronon growled again in frustration and scooted forward to the edge. They both reached into the warm, stinging fluid and pulled Sheppard out by his vest. They flopped him onto the floor.

"He's not breathing," Ronon stated.

The colonel's eyes were open, but there was no sign of breath. The pink ooze dripped everywhere, so Fender started by clearing the colonel's mouth. Fender glanced at Ronon and then breathed for his commanding officer.

Dr. McKay's voice could be heard over the airwaves asking about his friend. "Hold on, McKay." Ronon turned back to Fender. "Do you need me to do that while you start compressions?"

The colonel had a pulse. "Not yet, but if medical doesn't get here soon, then yes."

Fender kept his first aid training in the back of his head and kept breathing for his commanding officer until he jerked and puked pink, frothy goop all over himself. He tried to sit up. Ronon put his hand on Colonel Sheppard's chest.

"Stay down, John."

"Did I get everyone? There're Goa'uld," he coughed out. "Foothold."

"We know, John."

"Todd-"

"I'll get someone on it." Ronon relayed the information.

Fender noticed Ronon kept his hand on the colonel's chest. The colonel shivered and again tried to sit up. Ronon knew his friend so well.

"They've got to have an escape plan," the colonel said. "I could see them, just not in their heads."

Fender thought the colonel was babbling until he realized what he had fallen into. "The goop is what connects the ATA gene to the city."

"Where are they, Sheppard?" Ronon asked.

"Gertz, Rollins, and Umbarti." He swallowed and he looked ready to pass out. " I zapped Todd." He grinned and seemed very pleased with himself.

"Would've liked to have seen that." Ronon turned and looked at the door. Medical personnel came briskly into the room.

Fender stood up. "He wasn't breathing and lost consciousness," he reported.

"Thank you, Sergeant." Dr. Beckett took his place and knelt beside the colonel.

Others with the doctor checked the waking victims. Major Lorne pushed himself up and rolled onto his back. He looked at the nurse helping him. "Did we win?"

She just smiled and took vitals.

"I was stunned." He sat up abruptly and searched for the attacker. "Gertz!"

"She's stunned," Ronon called out to him. "There're others."

From what Fender could hear over the airwaves, teams were cleaning up the unconscious intruders. They even had Todd back in his cell. The colonel would definitely appreciate that.

One of the security officers grunted and Fender spun to see Dr. Gertz standing and grinning at the room. She was singed and slightly burned, but very much ready to continue with what she had started. "Well, got what I came for. Are you ready, Ptah?"

"Yes, Mehk." Dr. Bergeron stood next to the computer and held a knife to a nurse's neck. "It's time."

Fender was stunned. He had been with this woman for two days and had no idea she was a Goa'uld. He was going to have a lot of explaining to do.

Before Fender could dwell on it any farther, Dr. Gertz, or Mehk, pressed a button on a slender cylinder. There was a dull thud from somewhere in the city. The airwaves crackled with panicked voices.

One statement sent shivers down Fender's spine. "We're visible."

Ronon fired, but it was too late. Gertz gave a deep laugh and disappeared. Dr. Bergeron pushed the nurse away and also disappeared in a flash of bright light. More panicked voices came across the radios. The other Goa'uld were gone too.

Suddenly, Sheppard bolted up straight. "Where'd she go?" He searched for his radio. "Fender, ask the control room if they have anything on sensors!"

Fender did as asked. "An Al'kesh, sir. It uncloaked just as we did. There was an energy signature between us and them. It cloaked again and we've lost it."

Colonel Sheppard flopped back and whispered to the group, "Damn it. Where's Rodney?"

Ronon answered, "He's heading to check on the cloak. Teyla's with him. You know him, he'll let us know."

"But first, you're going with me," Dr. Beckett declared, blue eyes steely and confident. "All of you."

So Fender went.

* * *

><p>"No arguing, Colonel, we don't know the effect of the fluid on you or the fact that you might have aspirated some of it. You were unconscious, but the quick thinking of Sgt. Fender kept your chance at a complete recovery very good. Rodney will keep Ronon in the know and you will go under the scanner, right now. Now keep that mask on your face." Carson put on his I-mean-business-face as he put an oxygen mask back over the colonel's nose and mouth.<p>

_Sheesh, let a guy fly your city once and he gets a pair._ "At least, once I was pulled out of the moat, the effects stopped," John offered.

Carson glared and stopped John's talking in and outside of his head. "According to Rodney the ATA fluid goes inert when not connected to the rest of the fluid. Now, Amy, let's get him ready."

John went with it. The Navy had gone crazy when a giant floating city suddenly appeared along with an alien UFO. Luckily, the ships were sailing with skeleton crews so not as many to swear to secrecy as would normally be on board.

Woolsey returned to the city with a whole lot of problems with which to deal. John smiled. At least he hadn't blown her completely up.

"Isn't the Wraith enough! Now we have to fight with what's left of the Goa'uld?" Over the hum of the scanner, John heard Rodney's justified complaints as he entered the infirmary. "You are a magnet for trouble. I have no doubt of that whatsoever in my mind now."

"It's good to see you too, Rodney."

"Thank God we're so far away from land and they didn't go after any of the engines or thrusters, because as it stands right now, Radek and I are going to need at least a day to put right what that bitch did to the cloak. Of course it affects the shield since they are integrated!"

"Lie still, Colonel. We're almost done." Carson made notations on the laptop next to the scanner bed. He aimed a few good glares towards Rodney.

"What'd they get? I thought we had security against Goa'uld?" John mumbled trying to stay absolutely still.

"What'd you think?"

John knew. "Information on the wormhole drive."

" Exactly, and they're devious. I'm sure there will be an investigation on how they got around our measures. Dr. Bergeron has been here for about two years. She's probably been setting things up for awhile. From what we've found out, she helped to get the others into the city. She falsified credentials and slipped them past us." Rodney spat out the information, angry that he had not discovered this deception. "Bergeron did nothing to rouse our suspicions. Her emails were clean and she did her job until today."

Carson looked up again. "And by the way, I've done physicals on Dr. Bergeron, myself, and she was not a Goa'uld."

John couldn't believe they, no, he had been duped so easily. An explanation came to him suddenly. "She's a human sympathizer, maybe. She's been sitting here and waiting. Then she lucks into the wormhole drive. It's too good to pass up and she calls in reinforcements."

Rodney nodded at him. "Sounds plausible. We'll find out"

Before he could wallow in his doubts any longer, Marie walked over to the side of the bed. "You're finished, Colonel. Let's get you to bed and keep that oxygen mask on your face."

Looking for a little sympathy, John grimaced at Rodney. Still, John did as he was told.

"We've got to stop them. Find out what they're up to," he said pulling the mask down again.

"No, we don't." John looked quickly at Richard Woolsey as the nurse replaced the oxygen mask. John was surprised that the bureaucrat had snuck into the room without him noticing. "The SGC will take care of that. They're the ones who sent Dr. Bergeron to us. They will institute and internal investigation. What we're going to focus on is figuring out how get this city repaired and back to Pegasus."

John gave a nod as a Rolodex flipped through his head. "Area 51," he said after pulling the oxygen mask down yet again. "In between a half eaten sandwich and a pickled Goa'uld symbiote, middle shelf."

Rodney, Woolsey and everyone else in the room stared at him.

"What?"

"You're not going to start speaking Ancient are you?" Rodney asked.

"The info's not there; it's more like I can access information when needed." John's connection might have been gone, but access to information remained. Maybe the stuff was not as inert as the scientists thought.

"Where's the glitch in the Star Drive?" Rodney asked.

"Somewhere between the power converter and the drive mechanism," John immediately answered.

"Well, Colonel, you've just earned yourself an overnight stay." Carson stood at the end of his bed with folded arms.

"But, can you help me repair some of the unseen damage before this becomes a problem or goes away?"

Carson interrupted before John could answer. "Not now, Rodney. I'm going to go over the scans and we'll go from there."

He turned his attention towards John. "Sleep, Colonel. Rodney and you can play later."

John did sleep, only to be awaken by a vitals check. He noticed Sergeant Fender standing out of the way and fidgeting. He seemed like a man with something to say.

"I need to thank you, Sergeant, for saving my life."

The young man changed his stance and stood at attention. "Just doing my duty, sir."

"At ease, Sergeant." John shifted to get a better view of the young man. "Looks like you have something on your mind."

"Just checking on you, sir. Had to make sure that you were all right."

"And," John drawled.

"Sir, permission to speak freely?"

"Granted."

"Sir, you and your team seem to pull the impossible right out of your…hats. With you guys, the impossible is always possible." Fender paused and looked at his boots. "You just survived drowning and exposure to the ATA gene goop. You will get this city back to where she belongs, Goa'uld or no Goa'uld. I've seen what she means to the Pegasus Galaxy. We're not done yet."

John nodded at the sergeant. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Dr. Bergeron fooled us all, even those at the SGC, me. We'll take on whatever the Goa'uld dish out."

The doubts John had been having must have broadcast to those around him. The kid made his leave and John stared at the ceiling. He hit the call button.

"Marie," he said when she poked her head behind the curtain. "I need to speak with Dr. Beckett."

* * *

><p>"I'm leaving the wheelchair out here, along with the cannula." John removed the oxygen from his nose.<p>

Carson looked ready to argue- more. "At least, the Ancients seem to have made the fluid easy to breakdown. That's the only reason you're allowed to do this."

"The effects are already waning. I'm not the great owner's manual anymore. Anyway, I won't be but a few minutes. He's either going to go for it or not." John stood up and walked through the doors before Carson could say anything else.

Todd greeted him with his friendliest predatory smile.

"Do you know what the Goa'uld wanted with you?"

"No greeting, Shep-pard?"

John smiled back at the Wraith. "Hi, Todd. How're you feeling today?"

"Much better, John." He paused dramatically and placed both of his hands down on the table. "They wanted the same thing you do, power cells. But you already figured that out. Why are we dancing? You have a proposal, don't you?"

"How would you like to go home?"

"Why would I want to leave such lovely accommodations?"

"We're not feeding you this time. And if I know you, you have yet another stash of ZPMs and grand plans for conquest."

Todd gave his creepiest smile.

"One working ZPM, Todd, and you go home. Tell us where and you catch the next ship leaving port."

"I have been missing my own kind." Todd held his non-feeding hand out to shake on it.

John sneered back, but kept his hands on his side of the table. "Make no mistake, Atlantis will be back. So don't get too comfortable without us."

Todd put his hands back on the table. "I feel like we could continue this dance for a long time to come. I look forward to your return."

John stood up and exited the room, ready to click his heels together. He had procured his part. Now it was the IOA's turn to let Dorothy get on the flying ship and head back home.

Atlantis had work to do.

The End


End file.
